Roraima state has 45% of Brazil’s wildfires in February

The northern state of Roraima recorded 2,057 fire outbreaks in February this year, according to data from the National Institute for Space Research (INPE). The figure corresponds to 45 percent of all wildfires detected in Brazil last month (4,568).

Since the beginning of the year, 2,661 wildfires have been detected in Roraima. The number is higher than all those recorded in 2023 in the state: 2,659. In February last year, 168 wildfires were recorded.

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The Roraima Fire Department points to the local practice of setting fires to “clear up” the land as one of the factors aggravating the situation, since the fire can get out of control.

Drought

The state is going through a period of severe drought, aggravated by the influence of El Niño. The Branco river, the state’s main river, is reported to have reached a level of -0.13 meters.

The production of drinking water in the state’s artesian wells has been reduced by 20 percent, which, according to the local water utility, has led to low pressure in the water distribution network in the more remote districts. The state government has set up free drinking-water collection points in the municipalities and also provides supplies at the utility’s headquarters.